The Fallen Mentor
by AssassinEnigma
Summary: August, 1849. While training her daughter in combat, Master Assassin Juliette Marie Dorian receives a letter from her brother Francois about some news that has struck the Paris Brotherhood. What news does Francois’ letter bring? Please read and review!


The sun was slowly starting to set behind the trees of the Goff Mansion in Crawley. Standing before a training dummy in the backyard was Alana Rose Dorian, the eight and a half year old daughter of Master Assassins Juliette Marie Dorian and Samuel Adam Marshall, holding a tapered wooden training sword in her hand. Standing behind the dummy with her hands on her hips was Juliette Marie Dorian herself, observing her daughter's training. She wasn't in her traditional Assassin robes, but rather a simple white short sleeved blouse with frilled sleeves, along with her black boots, breeches, and three belts around her waist. She did however keep her Hidden Blade on her, for training purposes. Juliette has been out of action since the early days of February 1847, where Juliette injured her left knee and shoulder in her successful mission to assassinate Robert Starrick in London. She thought she would spend her free time in training her daughter in the ways of the Assassin Brotherhood.

Juliette watched her daughter take a few calculated swings, each landing on different parts of the dummy. She quickly glanced to her left to see fellow Assassin Cecily Frye spending some time with her daughter Evie, who was frolicking around in the grass. Juliette returned her focus to Alana, who was out of position while swinging.

Juliette crouched down, and gently grabbed the wooden sword, lowering it in the process.

"Alana, look at your feet. They are out of position." Juliette informed her daughter, who watched her mother readjust her feet. "Remember that trick Grandmother taught you?"

Alana nodded her head up and down.

"Good. Now, let's try some of those swings on a living target." Juliette replied, crouching down. "Remember Alana, gentle swings. Mother is still very sore."

Alana let out a deep breath, and positioned her feet like Elise had taught her. She looked up at her mother, who had her arms out. Alana began to swing at her mother's arms.

"Left, right, left, now right." Juliette stated, corresponding with Alana's swings. "Now a thrust to the gut!"

Alana followed that up with a thrust of her wooden sword just under Juliette's breasts, an inch away from her mother.

"Good job Alana!" Juliette said happily, rustling Alana's hair. Alana smiled happily. "Now it's time for mother to show you some of her combat tricks!"

Juliette rose from her knees, and was greeted by Ethan Frye, with a letter in his hand.

"Good day, Ethan." Juliette greeted the young Assassin. "How's Jacob doing today?"

"He's doing fine, Juliette. The nanny is with him." Ethan replied, lifting up his hand. Juliette looked down at the letter. "This letter came for you today."

Ethan handed the letter to Juliette. "Who's it from?"

"It's from Cafe Theatre, in Paris. I imagine it's from the French Assassins."

Juliette nodded her head. "Thank you Ethan."

Ethan bowed his head, and went over to join his wife. Juliette opened the letter, and recognized the handwriting as that of her brother, François. Juliette began to read the letter.

_Dear Juliette,_

_I hope all is well in Crawley. All is well here for our family at least. Michel is growing fast, he is nineteen and learning how to run the Cafe and Gabrielle just turned eleven, and has begun her training as a member of the Brotherhood under the wings of Marie and myself._

_I write to you with good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad news first. It is with great sadness that Mentor Sophie Trenet has passed away at the age of eighty-four. She passed away peacefully in her sleep three nights ago, and Juliana is mourning deeply over her loss. It has been a sad past few days here at Cafe Theatre, as the Cafe itself have been performing her plays on repeat as a form of honoring her legacy as a playwright. _

_With Sophie's death, it means that her ban on you assisting the French Brotherhood has been lifted, by way of a vote between Council members. You are free to assist us again when the time strikes. That is the good news. __Be sure to pass this news of her passing on to Mother, Father, and Leonard._

_I have also been informed by Juliana herself that she will be paying you a visit in Crawley soon in a few weeks time. _

_Take care, Juliette._

_Your Brother,_

_Francois C. Dorian._

Juliette folded up the letter, and crouched, her knees cracking as she did so. She took a few moments to absorb what she had just read. Sophie Trenet, Juliette's first mentor, had passed away. The only thing that most members of the French and British Brotherhoods remember was the feud between herself and Juliette, and all of the back and forths they had between each other when Juliette was younger. Juliette tried to learn under her, but her efforts were in vain due to constant scrutiny from Trenet. But amidst all the scrutiny, Juliette did learn one thing: She learned how to put up with people who put her down, and retaliate against them.

Alana approached her mother, wanting to know what had happened.

"Mother, is everything alright?"

Juliette looked over to her daughter, who had a look of concern on her face.

"Everything's alright, Alana." Juliette replied, through sniffles. "That was a letter from your uncle, telling me that Mentor Sophie Trenet has passed away."

"But Mother, I thought you hated her!"

"No Alana." Juliette replied sternly as she sat down. "Hate is a strong word. A word I really don't believe in. I never did hate her over the years, but she was the one who despised me. Even if somebody loathes you, you've still got to show some sympathy for those who continue to do so."

Alana nodded her head. "I understand, mother."

"Good."

Alana darted back into the mansion, while Juliette walked into the veranda of the mansion, and sat down at the table. Juliette grabbed a couple of loose parchment pieces, and dipped her quill into ink. She began to write.

_Dearest Brother,_

_I am pleased to hear that Michel and Gabrielle are growing up so fast. Tell them Aunt Juliette is proud of them, and that I am hoping to travel to Paris at some point with Alana to visit them. Be sure to let them know about that as well._

_All is well here in Crawley. Speaking of Alana, I have begun to train her in the ways of the Brotherhood shortly after returning from Egypt. She's really understood the ways of the Creed, and I have begun to train her in combat. Mother and Father have also taught her some tricks as well, mostly with posture. She is really enjoying the company of her grandparents._

_As for Mentor Trenet, I am sorry to hear about her passing. Though I remember all the things she had said and done to me, but that was in the past. I will pass the news on to Leonard with a heavy heart. I intended to write to her, requesting for a hearing in Paris to put the feud to an end, but I cannot now due to the circumstances at hand._

_Let Juliana know that she is more than welcome to visit us here in Crawley anytime. Be sure to tell her to look for the Goff Mansion on the outskirts of town, as that is where we are located._

_Thank you again for letting me know, François._

_Love your sister,_

_Juliette M. Dorian._

_Post-script - Congratulations on your 50th birthday, old man._

Juliette let out a little laugh as she folded the letter and placed it in the envelope. After placing the letter down, Juliette felt somebody tugging at her white blouse. She turned around to see Alana standing there, smiling.

"What is it, Alana?"

"Are we still going for our walk, mother?"

Juliette smiled. Her and Alana would go for a walk into town every evening after training. This would be the perfect opportunity to drop the letter off at the post office. Juliette addressed the letter, picked it up and rose from her chair, placing the letter in her back pocket.

"Let's go Alana, before it starts to rain."

Juliette pointed up to the clouds, which were starting to turn a dark grey, looking at them from the north. Alana looked up as well, smiling as she saw them.

"I hope we get a thunderstorm, mother!"

Juliette chuckled as the pair made began their walk towards the downtown area of Crawley, passing through the park outside the mansion along the way, with remnants of the free-running course hidden in the trees, the same course she had trained on, had begun to show its age, which reminded her that she had to talk to Leonard about restoring the course she had trained on for Alana. Continuing on with the walk, Alana noticed the letter sticking out of Juliette's back pocket.

"Who's the letter for, mother?" Alana asked, trying to reach for the letter. Juliette pulled the letter out and handed it to Alana.

"It's a letter to Uncle Francois." Juliette replied, crouching down to look her daughter in the eye. "I wrote it for him letting him know that we extend our deepest sympathies for Mentor Trenet, and also to let him know that we will be traveling to Paris to meet your cousins Michel and Gabrielle sometime soon."

Alana's eyes widened. "Really mother? Are we going to Paris?"

Juliette let out a little laugh. "Yes, we will be. We've got to send him the letter first. As a matter of fact, I'll let you be the one to deliver the letter once we get to the post office. How does that sound?"

"Oh boy! I can't wait!" Alana exclaimed, as she darted ahead of her mother, rushing towards the post office. Juliette smiled nonchalantly as she began to run after her daughter, sparking a fun evening ahead in the small town of Crawley.


End file.
